Veneration of the Mother Goddess

What do you understand by “Veneration of the Mother Goddess“? A visit to the Museum of Women in Hanoi – one of the most interesting museums in Southeast Asia – is essential to better understand the rich and varied culture of Vietnam. At the Museum of Women, a large part is dedicated to explaining what concerns the belief in the Mother Goddess.

Horizon Vietnam Travel made a cultural visit to gain a general overview of this beautiful belief. We provide you in this article with basic information to understand this very ancient belief. Discover the veneration of the Mother Goddess with Horizon Vietnam Travel!

Who is the Mother Goddess?

We always ask ourselves the question: Who is the Mother Goddess? So, for believers, the Mother Goddess is the supreme divinity who reincarnated herself in three Goddesses of the Three Worlds – the Celestial World, the World of Water and the World of Mountains and Forests) – to reign over the country. The Mother Goddess protects and supports us, gives us the strength to overcome natural disasters, misfortune, illnesses, brings us peace and prosperity.

In Vietnam, the belief in the Mother Goddess first appeared in the sixteenth century. Many people venerate the Mother Goddess. These Goddesses are venerated in temples, pagodas, palaces or in modest private altars, according to various representations, sometimes in the company of genii. Practitioners make prayers in these religious places on the 15th day and the 1st day of the lunar month, for peace and good fortune.

Its Religious Beauty

We see that the veneration of the Mother Goddess is a purely Vietnamese popular belief with a long history. It has adapted to changes in society and in our time is still widely practiced in the country and within the Vietnamese overseas community. The belief in the Mother Goddess is an aspiration for health, good fortune, and luck. A spiritual need of the Vietnamese, it brings comfort and is very attractive to all social classes. The worship of the Mother Goddess is a culture, a performing art that tells the legends of characters who did good for the people and the country.

The Mediums

In the incarnation rites, those who are consecrated to communicate directly with the spirits in front of the altar are called mediums. Mediums recreate the legends of the gods who fought invaders. This allows young generations to understand the origins of these deities.

But to become a medium, this person must have a predestined link with the Mother Goddess. This link is prescribed in the destiny of some people, men or women.

A medium tells her story: “At my birth, the Creator designated me as a disciple of the Goddess. However, I did not participate in medium ceremonies and did not know how to conduct the rites. But suddenly, in my heart, something pushed me to serve the Goddess. And I thought only of this, until I became a medium.”

The Incarnation Rite

Hâu dông – the incarnation rite, is the most important of the worship of the Mother Goddesses. Mediums, with their characteristic movements, theatrically incarnate the deities. Those attending can intensely perceive the beauty of the incarnated gods and genii who dance, dressed in sumptuous costumes, accompanied by Van songs that tell the legends and exploits of national heroes, in a ritual space rich in color. Clothing is the distinctive sign of each incarnation corresponding to a particular spirit. Beautiful costumes stimulate the medium and allow them to lift the enthusiasm of those present. A spectacle in vivid colors!

Music in the Ritual

Music, the Van singing, plays an important role in the ritual. It is like an invitation to the Gods and Spirits to join the ceremony to make it more alive. Singers and musicians perform music throughout the rite which lasts approximately 4 hours.

Offerings at the Ceremony

The offerings received from the deities are then distributed to those attending the ceremony and are also called divine favors.

For believers, non-material divine favors are perceived in different ways: health, success, fortune, prosperity. As for material favors: fruit, sweets, etc., people who receive them believe that they will one day be fortunate. So, they strive to obtain as many favors as possible to take them home.

Essential Value of Veneration

A pure heart is the essential value of belief in the Mother Goddess. The Mother recommends to man to live honestly, to have a pure and generous heart, to behave with dignity, to venerate ancestors, to be grateful to those who render service to the people and the country.

Convinced that the Mother always protects us and brings us health, fortune, and good luck, the followers of this belief express all their respect by presenting her with offerings.

What Believers Feel About the Mother Goddess and the Ritual

At the Museum of Women, we perceive the sincere feelings of followers towards this belief.

“The Mother Goddess protects all the people. I venerate the Goddess so that my business goes well and to have health, to avoid illnesses.”

“Frequently attending the incarnation rituals of the spirits and gods, I feel relaxed and serene, I feel rested and in better form. After each ritual, I am very happy, spiritually comforted, with a feeling of fullness that words cannot describe.”

“After the ceremony, I feel completely relieved, without any feeling of fatigue. I am very happy because my requests have been accepted by the Buddha and the Mother Goddess. They have blessed me and granted me health.”

Horizon Vietnam Travel hopes you enjoyed this article. If you intend to make a beautiful visit to our country, you will be able to attend a ritual spectacle to discover our religious culture!